Meanwhile, in tiny Washington, Texas, 59 signers declared Texas independent of Mexico on March 2. Under the Mexican constitution of 1824, Texas had been part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas. But Santa Anna revoked the constitution, prompting the declaration.

Things didn't go well for the outnumbered Texians. After two attempts, Santa Anna's forces breached the Alamo walls on March 6. All the Texians (between 182 and 257, according to historians) died. The half-dozen or so who surrendered were executed.

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Runaway Scrape

Meanwhile, settlers were fleeing the advancing Mexican army in what was called the Runaway Scrape. They fled as far as Galveston. Sam Houston's Texian army turned back the Mexicans at the 18-minute Battle of San Jacinto on April 21.

The Alamo has taken some odd turns in popular culture. On Feb. 19, 1982, Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo Cenotaph, an act that got him banned from San Antonio for 10 years. He donated $10,000 to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. In 2015, he formally apologized.

In The 1985 Tim Burton movie "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," Pee-wee Herman's beloved bike is stolen, and a psychic tells him it's in the basement of the Alamo. When he finally reaches Texas, Pee-wee is crushed to find out the Alamo has no basement.